Pacers hammer Cavs, grab 3-1 series lead

Pacers hammer Cavs, grab 3-1 series lead

Pascal Siakam scored 21 points and Myles Turner and Obi Toppin each added 20, lifting the Indiana Pacers to a 129-109 rout of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Sunday in Indianapolis. The fourth-seeded Pacers hold a 3-1 lead over the top-seeded Cavaliers in the best-of-seven series. Indiana can punch its ticket to its second straight conference final with a victory in Game 5 on Tuesday in Cleveland. "Staying focused," Turner said on TNT. "Don't believe the hype. Keep rollin'." To add injury to insult for the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell sat out the second half with a left ankle injury. The six-time All-Star finished with 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the floor. "Left ankle injury. He'll get an MRI tomorrow," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. "Obviously, he couldn't go in the second half. We'll see what the MRI says." Turner, Siakam and Toppin combined to make 25 of 37 shots from the floor and 7 of 10 from 3-point range for the Pacers, who rebounded from a 22-point loss in Game 3. "We got punched in the mouth last game," Turner said in the TNT interview after the game. "We had a hell of a response, the stars set the tone and the bench picked it up the rest of the game." Indiana outscored the Cavaliers by a 42-16 margin in the second quarter to take an 80-39 lead at halftime. The Pacers set a franchise-playoff record for points in a half and an NBA postseason record for assists in a half (25) in the play-by-play era (1998). Ben Sheppard scored 14 points, T.J. McConnell added 13 and Aaron Nesmith had 12 for the Pacers. Indiana shot a robust 52.7 percent from the floor and enjoyed a 58-32 advantage in points in the paint. Darius Garland scored 21 points for the Cavaliers, who committed 22 turnovers. "Complete domination by them," Atkinson said. "It's kind of the story in every facet. It wasn't like tactics or anything. They dominated us in every facet of the game." Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected with 4:32 left in the opening period after he ignited an altercation with De'Andre Hunter. The former hit the latter in the chest, prompting Hunter to shove Mathurin in response. Hunter and Turner were also assessed technical fouls. The Pacers connected on five of their first six attempts from 3-point range to seize a 33-14 lead early in the first quarter. Siakam drained a pair from beyond the arc and set up Toppin for an emphatic dunk as Indiana scored the first 10 points of the second quarter to boost its advantage to 48-23. Turner sank a trio of 3-pointers during the final two minutes of the second quarter and Nesmith made a basket at the buzzer to stake Indiana to an 80-39 lead at halftime. The outcome was not in doubt the rest of the way. --Field Level Media

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Pacers hammer Cavs, grab 3-1 series lead

Pacers hammer Cavs, grab 3-1 series lead Pascal Siakam scored 21 points and Myles Turner and Obi Toppin each added 20, lifting the Indiana P...

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Thunder rally in 4th, knot series with Nuggets at 2-2

Thunder rally in 4th, knot series with Nuggets at 2-2

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from eight down in the fourth quarter to beat the Denver Nuggets 92-87 in Game 4 on Sunday to even the Western Conference semifinal series. Oklahoma City regained home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series and will host Game 5 on Tuesday night. Despite 27 points and 13 rebounds from Nikola Jokic, Denver missed an opportunity to put a stranglehold on the series. Christian Braun and Jamal Murray had 17 points each and Aaron Gordon finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Nuggets. "This isn't a funeral," Murray said. "It's 2-2. It's a three-game series." Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace scored 11 each, Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams scored 10 apiece, Isaiah Hartenstein had 14 rebounds and Chet Holmgren grabbed 13 boards for the Thunder. "Kind of lost our way defensively, especially in the third, but did a great job of course-correcting to start the fourth," said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. "That group to start the fourth was huge to give us a lead, and then the defense down the stretch was really, really good." Oklahoma City trailed 71-63 early in the fourth, but hit a trio of 3-pointers during a 14-3 run that gave them a 77-73 lead. Denver missed eight straight shots before Murray hit a 19-foot fadeaway jumper with 6:17 left. Down 84-80, Jokic missed a pair of free throws and Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander made layups to stretch the advantage to 88-81. Jokic cut it to five with 1:25 left and the Nuggets had a chance to make it a one-possession game, but Michael Porter Jr. missed an 11-footer. Murray airballed a 3-pointer with 23 seconds left and the Thunder closed it out. "Give their team credit," said Nuggets interim coach David Adelman. "In a disgusting basketball game, they did enough to win." Sunday's game tipped off approximately 38 hours after Denver's Game 3 overtime win. The collective fatigue showed early when the teams combined to shoot 18.2 percent in the first quarter. Oklahoma City led 17-8 to match the lowest combined score in the opening period of a playoff game. Portland (14) and Utah (11) did it May 20, 1999, and Detroit and Toronto also managed just 25 points on April 21, 2002. Both teams were 3-for-22 from 3-point range in the first half. Denver found its offense in the third quarter, hitting seven of its 11 shots from deep and turning a six-point halftime deficit into a 69-63 lead heading into the fourth. The Nuggets outscored Oklahoma City 61-40 after falling behind 23-8 early in the second quarter. --Field Level Media

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Thunder rally in 4th, knot series with Nuggets at 2-2

Thunder rally in 4th, knot series with Nuggets at 2-2 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder rallied...

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Panthers shut out Maple Leafs, tie series at two apiece

Panthers shut out Maple Leafs, tie series at two apiece

Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves as the host Florida Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 to even their second-round playoff series on Sunday night in Sunrise. The Eastern Conference best-of-seven series, tied at 2-2, will continue on Wednesday in Toronto. "We're going to Toronto with some confidence," Verhaeghe said. Florida, the reigning Stanley Cup champion, eliminated the Leafs from the second round of the 2023 playoffs, which was the last time these two teams met in the postseason. The Panthers also won this year's season series, 3-1. Joseph Woll made 35 saves for the Leafs, who could not get their high-powered offense untracked. There were four penalties in the first period -- all against Toronto. That led the Panthers to have a big edge on shot attempts (30-9) and shots on goal (15-4). "They checked us hard, but in the first period we were in the box the whole period," Toronto coach Craig Berube said. "You can wipe that period out. Too many penalties." Toronto killed those first three penalties, but Florida's power play finally clicked on that fourth opportunity with 4:15 left, following a delay-of-game penalty on Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who cleared the puck over the glass. Nine seconds later, it was 1-0 as Matthew Tkachuk, operating from the left wall, threaded a pass just out of the reach of Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe. The puck connected with Verhaeghe, who scored from the doorstep, just to the right of the goal. Aleksander Barkov had the secondary assist. "We had some poor starts earlier in this series, and that's something we wanted to get better at, and getting the early goal definitely helped," Verhaeghe said. The second period was scoreless, but there were a number of great chances. With 3:15 left, Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling chased down William Nylander, who couldn't get off a strong enough shot due to the defensive effort. Then, less than two minutes later on a Leafs power play, Sam Reinhart blocked a shot by Mitch Marner. That led to a rush by Reinhart, with Marner giving chase. Woll stopped Reinhart's shot from the right circle and also Barkov's rebound attempt from the left dot. Finally, with 1:15 left, Max Domi was at the doorstep, but his redirection was stopped by Bobrovsky. In the third period, Toronto's Matthew Knies had a short-handed breakaway, but Bobrovsky made the save with 13:41 left. "We had looks," Berube said. "They did a good job of swarming us with numbers. We have to do a better job of getting the puck out quicker. I thought we were coming in the third period. ... It's a battle. They don't give you a lot. If we capitalize on some of our opportunities, it's a different game." Bennett made it 2-0 with 7:51 left in the third. Following a Leafs turnover, Bennett skated in on the right wing. But when both defenders took Verhaeghe, Bennett retreated a couple of steps toward the middle and patiently fired the puck past Woll. Aaron Ekblad earned an assist on that goal. --Field Level Media

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Panthers shut out Maple Leafs, tie series at two apiece

Panthers shut out Maple Leafs, tie series at two apiece Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves as the h...

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Edan Alexander's family celebrates his upcoming release: 'Greatest gift imaginable'

Edan Alexander's family celebrates his upcoming release: 'Greatest gift imaginable'

The sign in front of Tenafly High School in northeastern New Jersey, from whichEdan Alexandergraduated just three years ago, has a single demand on its display: "Bring Edan Home Now." On May 11, Alexander's family and friends, his hometown and strangers around the world who followed his tragic story rejoiced at the news they'd been yearning for: The 21-year old New Jersey native, believed to be the last living American hostage captured by Hamas in its2023 attackon Israel,appears to be coming home. Hamas said earlier in the day that it would releaseAlexanderahead of PresidentDonald Trump's visit to the Middle East later this week. Hours later, Trump confirmed the news in asocial media poston X. "I am happy to announce that Edan Alexander, an American citizen who has been held hostage since October 2023, is coming home to his family," Trump's post said. "This was a step taken in good faith toward the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones." U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Response Adam Boehler told CNN and The New York Times that he was traveling with the parents of Alexander to Israel, where they hoped to reunite with Edan — possibly as early as the afternoon of May 12, Israel time. Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters released a statement on behalf of the family, thanking Trump and his administration for their work "Today, on Mother's Day, we received the greatest gift imaginable — news that our beautiful son Edan is returning home after 583 days in captivity in Gaza," the statement read. "We urge the Israeli government and the negotiating teams: please don't stop. We hope our son's release begins negotiations for all 58 remaining hostages, ending this nightmare for them and their families. No hostage should be left behind." The report would mark a happy conclusion to months of deadlocked negotiations to secure Alexander's freedom after being captured by Hamas during its deadly attack onOct. 7, 2023. Trump had said Alexander's release was a top priority, and the administration had taken the unusual step of opening direct talks with Hamas, despite its designation as a terror group. Israel-Hamas war:Hamas will release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, group says In interviews and speeches at dozens of rallies held in his name over the past two years, friends and relatives described Alexander as a warm, funny, and athletic teenager. Edan was an "all-American kid" who enjoyed swimming, hanging out with friends, and rooting for the New York Knicks, his father, Adi Alexander, told NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, in an earlier interview. "This time it appears to be legitimate, and I could not be happier for Edan, his family, friends, our community, and the united global Jewish community," Jason Shames, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, said in a statement as word of Edan Alexander's impending release spread. "His safe return home marks another step towards bringing everyone back from the hell they have been subjected to. We are grateful to everyone who made this possible and welcome Edan back with enormous loving arms." Edan Alexander was born to Israeli parents, Adi and Yael, in Tel Aviv, but the family moved to the U.S. when he was a baby, first to Maryland, before settling in Tenafly in 2008. Edan Alexander graduated in 2022 from Tenafly High, where he was active in sports leagues and competed for the local swim team. He often traveled to Israel to visit his grandparents and celebrated his bar mitzvah there. But Edan Alexander surprised his family by returning to his parents' homeland after high school and volunteering with the Israel Defense Forces. He had no obligation to serve but wanted to help Israel, his father said. Edan Alexander was stationed in southern Israel when Hamas fighters stormed Israel, killing 1,200 people and capturing 250 others, including 12 Americans. He was 19 when he was captured while guarding a post near the Gaza border. "He's such a brave kid. He volunteered for the IDF because he felt it was the right thing to do," Adi Alexander said. "He's very idealistic." With Edan Alexander in captivity, his parents accepted a "hometown heroes" award on their son's behalf in December 2023 from their congressman, Rep. Josh Gottheimer. 'Tears in my eyes':Family remembers Palestinian American teen killed in the West Bank Yael Alexander spoke to her son in a morning phone call on the day of his capture. Edan Alexander told her there was a lot of shooting, and he had taken shrapnel to his helmet, but he assured her he was safe. His mother said she told her son she loved him and to protect himself. That was their final conversation. For days, the family did not know his whereabouts, but Israeli officials informed them a week later that their son had been kidnapped and taken to Gaza. Footage found later showed Edan Alexander surrounded by Hamas fighters as they captured him. Some released hostages said they had seen Edan Alexander in Hamas' tunnel networks under Gaza, with one report putting him with a group of Thai workers who had also been captured. "He looked skinny but was in a good mood. He tried to help the Thai workers by translating conversations between them and their captors," Adi Alexander said in an interview. Edan Alexander was the last known American hostage from the attack, believed to be still alive. Americans who were killed include Omer Neutra, Itay Chen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Judy Weinstein Haggai and her husband, Gadi Haggai. About 21 of the remaining 58 hostages in Gaza are believed to be alive. Hamas released twopropaganda videosfeaturing Edan Alexander in recent months. The latest was released in April, at thestart of Passover, a Jewish holiday celebrating the story of Exodus, when the Israelites were liberated from slavery in ancient Egypt by Moses. In the video, a gaunt and emotional Edan Alexander said he was "collapsing physically and mentally" and urged U.S. and Israeli leaders to negotiate his release. "I want to believe I will return home to celebrate the holidays with you," he said to his parents. Several days later, after talks between Israel and Hamas hit an impasse, Hamas announced that it had lost contact with the guards in charge of Edan Alexander. But Adi Alexander remained optimistic about his son's fate, telling NorthJersey.com that he believed "he's in the same place and is OK." Friends lost, relatives at odds:How Oct. 7 reshaped lives in the U.S. The Alexanders urged Trump to negotiate directly with Hamas to reach a deal. In his recent address at aNational Day of Prayerevent at the White House, which the Alexanders attended, Trump said, "Adi and Yael, I cannot imagine your pain. But we're all alongside of you. We stand by you and we're going to do everything possible in a short period of time." Hamas released a statement on May 11, saying that it would release Edan Alexander as part of efforts toward a ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was informed by the U.S. of Hamas' intention to release Edan as a gesture to the Americans, without any conditions. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said on May 11 that Edan's release should be the start of a "comprehensive" agreement to secure the release of all the hostages. "President Trump, you've given the families of all the hostages hope," the forum said. "Please complete your mission and bring them all home." This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com:Edan Alexander case: Family celebrates his upcoming release by Hamas

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Edan Alexander's family celebrates his upcoming release: 'Greatest gift imaginable'

Edan Alexander's family celebrates his upcoming release: 'Greatest gift imaginable' The sign in front of Tenafly High School in ...

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Burkina Faso forces killed at least 100 civilians in a March attack, Human Rights Watch says

Burkina Faso forces killed at least 100 civilians in a March attack, Human Rights Watch says

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — At least 100 civilians were killed by Burkina Faso government forces in March near the western town of Solenzo, Human Rights Watch said Monday. According to victim testimony and videos shared on social media gathered by the rights group, the attackers were Burkina Faso special forces and members of a pro-government militia, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland. The victims were all ethnic Fulani, a pastoralist community that is widespread across the region, which the government has long accused of supporting Muslim militants. An earlierreportfrom Human Rights Watch stated that the government's involvement was likely, because of video evidence on social media, although the findings were not definitive. The government issued a sharp denial when first reports surfaced, saying in a statement it "condemned the propagation, on social media, of images inducing hate and community violence, and fake information aimed at undermining social cohesion" in the country. "The viral videos of the atrocities by pro-government militias near Solenzo sent shock waves through Africa's Sahel region, but they told only part of the story," said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Further research uncovered that Burkina Faso's military was responsible for these mass killings of Fulani civilians, which were followed by deadly reprisals by an Islamist armed group. The government needs to impartially investigate these deaths and prosecute all those responsible." Burkina Faso authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the group's new report. The landlocked nation of 23 million people has symbolized the security crisis in the aridSahelregion south of the Sahara in recent years. It has been shaken by violence fromextremistgroups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, and the governments fighting them. Themilitary junta, which took power in 2022, failed to provide the stability it promised. According to conservative estimates, more than 60% of the country is now outside of government control, more than 2.1 million people have lost their homes and almost 6.5 million need humanitarian aid to survive. The attack in the western Boucle du Mouhoun region, including Solenzo and other towns, began on Feb. 27 and lasted until April 2, involving hundreds of government troops and drones, according to eyewitnesses quoted in the report. "The VDPs shot at us like animals, while drones were flying over our heads. Many women and children died because they could not run," said a Fulani herder, 44, from Solenzo, referring to the pro-government militias. After the attack, hundreds of Fulani residents fled across the border into neighboring Mali, the report said. "Today, in the whole province, there are no more Fulani — they all fled or were killed or taken hostage," said a 53-year-old man from Solenzo. "But the other (ethnic) communities remain." After the government forces left, the report said that jihadist fighters from a group known as JNIM reentered the towns and carried out reprisal killings against residents, targeting the men whom it considered to be military collaborators. "All the men had been executed in front of the health center," said a 60-year-old woman who witnessed JNIM abuses in Tiao village, a town to the northeast of Solenzo on April 5. "I counted up to 70 bodies." According to analysts, the junta's strategy of military escalation, including mass recruitment of civilians for poorly trained militia units, has exacerbated tensions between ethnic groups. It it impossible to get an accurate picture of the situation in the country since the military leadership has installed a system of de facto censorship, rights groups said, and those daring to speak up can be openlyabducted, imprisoned or forcefully drafted into the army.

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Burkina Faso forces killed at least 100 civilians in a March attack, Human Rights Watch says

Burkina Faso forces killed at least 100 civilians in a March attack, Human Rights Watch says DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — At least 100 civilians we...

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